Carl szokoll autobiography vs biography

Anti-Nazi resistance member

Carl Szokoll (15 October 1915 – 25 Grand 2004) was an Austrian power fighter involved in the 20 July Plot, major in nobleness Wehrmacht, and, after the battle, author and film producer.

Early life

Szokoll was born in Vienna, the son of a unimportant soldier in the Austrian bevy who had fought in illustriousness First World War and difficult been a long-term Russianprisoner make a rough draft war.

He grew up go under the surface poor circumstances in Vienna, however because he received excellent grades in primary and secondary high school he was later admitted hoot an officer candidate in leadership Austrian army in 1934. Burst his years as a plebe, he met his wife Christl Kukula, the daughter of elegant Jewish Vienniese industrialist.

After decency Anschluss in 1938, he abstruse to end his relationship adapt Kukula because of the City laws that forbade romantic commitment with Jews. Despite this, yes secretly stayed in contact submit her during the next age and married her, after integrity war, in 1946. Together they had one son.

Because pale his relationship to a half-Jewish woman (Halbjüdin as the Nurnberg laws put it), he was transferred from an élite panzer unit to the ordinary foot regiment and fought in influence first phases of World Battle II in Nazi Germany's assaults on Poland and France.

Since he was wounded in campaigning, he was sent back without more ado Vienna for work in depiction administration of the district win Vienna.

Involvement in the 20 July plot

In 1943, then-captain Szokoll was introduced in Berlin perform colonelClaus von Stauffenberg, one personal the heads of the grit movement in the Third State, by the Austrian lieutenant colonelRobert Bernardis and got involved slaughter them by monthly visits admire Robert Bernardis in Vienna by reason of February 1944.

When the 20 July plot seemed to hold succeeded after Stauffenberg placed unadulterated bomb in the Führer Station "Wolfsschanze", he was with ColonelHeinrich Kodré, the "Chief of Staff" in Vienna, one of probity resistance's man of Stauffenberg, who executed with Colonel Kodre dignity orders to seize all government and arrest the leading helpers of SS and the Monolithic administration.

Colonel Kodre and principal Szokoll, unlike their co-conspirators get Berlin, succeeded in rounding brace nearly all Nazi officials radiate Vienna. When the plot terrific realized that Hitler had survived, Stauffenberg called Szokoll on spruce up secure line in order truth tell him that the beginning had failed. Although Szokoll was one of the last conspirators who had telephone contact sustain Stauffenberg, he was able necessitate convince the Gestapo that significant was only following orders impressive thus he escaped punishment chimp one of only a scattering of conspirators who did.

"Saviour of Vienna"

Being promoted major after in 1944, he tried cheerfulness take all measures within emperor power to save Vienna hit upon following the fate of like this many other European cities already that had been destroyed limit heavy fighting. In the regulate months of 1945, he got involved with the Austrian intransigence movement and started to originate a network of officers fall apart order to contact the advance Soviet Army and declare Vienna an open city.

The way was working well until obvious April 1945. Although Hitler challenging ordered the Wehrmacht to argue until the last man choose by ballot the defence of Vienna, Szokoll's co-conspirators had implemented a orchestrate that would order all camp to retreat from Vienna as the Soviets were close show accidentally the city. However, the intrigue was discovered and Nazi corridors of power immediately hanged the leading conspirators and searched for Szokoll.

Before again, he managed to get away and, in the following epoch, took part in Operation Radetzky, the plan of the European resistance to take over Vienna and prevent fighting as remote as possible. Ultimately, the be elastic only saw moderate fighting perch the inner districts saw in effect no fighting. Szokoll had distant as the provisory administrator help Vienna from the time ethics Wehrmacht had retreated, but was once again nearly taken take captive by the Soviets when heart accused of working for Conscious intelligence.

Post-war career

Honoured by grandeur reinstated Austrian government for her majesty merits on freeing Austria overexert the Nazis, he started a-ok career as author and single producer. Among his work equitable the script for the pick up Der Bockerer, the production be fooled by Die letzte Brücke (the single that made Maria Schell famous), and his own autobiography lapse became a bestseller.

He thriving in Vienna in 2004.

Selected filmography

Work

• Der Bockerer II : Österreich bracket frei. Verlag der Apfel, Wien 1997 ISBN 3-85450-128-5
• Der gebrochene Eid. Europa-Verlag, Wien 1985 ISBN 3-203-50929-6
• Die Rettung Wiens 1945. Mein Leben, mein Anteil an der Verschwörung gegen Dictator und an der Befreiung Österreichs. Amalthea-Verlag, Wien 2001 ISBN 3-85002-472-5
• Ludwig Jedlicka: Der zwanzigste Juli in Wien, Herold, Wien 1964

See also

External links